Australia does Asian food well. Maybe adapted to our palates so not always completely authentic in the choice of ingredients and cooking methods, it is never too hard to find really high quality food inspired by the flavours and dishes of Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China. One of the newer places to open its doors in Perth is Noodle Forum, in the Equus Arcade on Barrack Street. As the name would suggest, Noodle Forum is a haven for noodle dishes of Chinese origin. In fact, unlike many noodle joints, Noodle Forum makes its own noodles on site – leveraging this edge by having the process on full display as Erich Wong, the head chef, makes his star noodles behind a glass window, a skill he learned from his father and has been perfecting for over …continue reading

Chik and Kent – whose name pays homage to Chikmagalur, a region in India known as the “land of coffee”, and L.P Kent, an Englishman who planted the Doddengudda Estate – is an Indian restaurant situated towards the quieter end of Murray Street in the Perth CBD. It is one of the few places in the city centre that actually remains open on a Sunday, from breakfast to late night dinner. Unusual for an Indian restaurant, Chik and Kent becomes one of the city’s coffee hotspots in the early morning, with a convenient “grab and go” window from which coffee, cake and pastries can be purchased. The breakfast menu has the standard mix of dishes, including eggs in any way, muesli, and toast. There are however a couple of more unique items, including …continue reading

I was walking back home from Northbridge about a week ago and noticed this small cafe on William Street that I’d never seen before. I don’t know what it was, but it looked like the cooler sort of cafe; the sort that does good coffee with a unique food offering. I made a mental note to revisit when I had more time. That time was this morning, for my final breakfast of the year. With a very unassuming entrance (I almost walked right past without noticing it the first time), Willy Wagtail is one of Perth’s newest morning hotspots, located near the corner of Wellington Street and William Street. As of this date it has been open for about 2 weeks, so they don’t come much newer than this. Willy Wagtail prides itself on serving …continue reading

Victoria Park has its fair share of very mediocre eating places, but it also has a bunch of really cool little cafes that do great breakfasts and brunches. Sixteen Ounces is on the Albany Highway and opened up earlier this year. Before going we had a quick look at the menu to decide what we would order for brunch – the obligatory check to make sure they did more than just the standard “big breakfast” and vanilla yoghurt with ordinary packet muesli. When we arrived and sat down, we noticed that the menu was quite different to what I had found online (I think I was looking at the Spring menu). No problem, though, because there was a larger range of dishes, and some interesting ones that I hadn’t really seen before. After yesterday’s minor …continue reading

New places are popping up all the time in Perth, so I’m never surprised to come across a new restaurant, cafe or bar when I’m doing my usual back and forth between the shopping district and my apartment. Walking down the same road every time gets boring, so I sometimes try to change up the path. Today I took a stroll down Shafto Lane (between Hay and Murray) and noticed this new little cafe towards the Hay Street end. The name would suggest that coffee is their thing, however I noticed that they had a small range of lunch items. I hadn’t yet eaten lunch, so in I went! Before going anywhere to eat I can’t help but do a quick background check – Google search, Urbanspoon, Facebook page – to see whether I should …continue reading

We all remember that one fateful episode of Masterchef Australia where “the Dark Lord of the Pastry Kitchen”, Adriano Zumbo, was summoned to deliver a challenge that would truly test even the most experienced pastry amateurs – the macaron tower. Zumbo gained his notoriety after setting the croquembouche challenge in 2009, after which many inspired amateur chefs scurried around, calling every kitchenware store they could think of, to source a conical croquembouche mould. Having just moved into my new apartment, I found myself asking myself whether I could really be bothered with a Christmas tree. I’m not a Christmas grinch, but I don’t have all that many people coming up to my home, and my living space was already the scene of a battle for real estate between the sofa and the kitchen cabinet. I …continue reading

Italian food is characteristic in its use of so few ingredients and simple cooking techniques to produce some of the most flavoursome dishes known. This hearty Southern Italian soup dish is a perfect example, and is something I keep going back to when I’m in need of a quick but very filling meal. Ingredients (serves 4 to 6) 200g celery, chopped 150g short grain rice 1 onion, finely chopped 1L beef stock 4 tablespoons tomato sauce 20g butter 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Plenty of Parmesan cheese to serve Preparation Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan. Add the onions, cooking over a low heat until they become soft. Add the celery and the tomato sauce and allow to cook for 5 minutes Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. …continue reading

Mention the word “pesto” and it conjures up images of the very well-known Pesto alla Genovese, the bright green basil and pine nut condiment from Genoa in the northern parts of Italy. Less known, yet equally as tasty, is its southern cousin – Pesto alla Trapanese, from the fishing town Trapani in the western parts of Sicily. Unlike its Ligurian counterpart, the Trapanese version is formed on a base of tomatoes and almonds, with some basil and garlic thrown in for an added level of flavour. Used as a sauce for pasta, this recipe makes for a great weeknight meal – simple, cheap and incredibly quick to make. Selecting the appropriate type of pasta for any dish can make a difference to the final product and how enjoyable it is to eat. My preference for …continue reading

Hungover after a heavy night out, sometimes nothing pleases more than a nice, heavy, soul-comforting meal to satiate the morning’s hunger. Although I was not at all hungover (perhaps a little tired from nearly thirty hours of travel from the USA), The Old Crow in Northbridge was certainly a welcomed treat. Unlike the Tuck Shop just down the road, with people brimming out the door, there was no wait for a table – straight in and seated in the back corner. The Old Crow serves a menu of dishes inspired by the far south of the USA, so naturally smoked and braised meats and deep fried goods are quite prominent. In fact, if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say the name of the restaurant comes from the infamous Kentucky-based Old Crow bourbon – …continue reading